


The Longer Days and Shorter Nights

by Ryuuto



Series: The Sun and the Moon [3]
Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-04
Updated: 2016-02-04
Packaged: 2018-05-18 06:10:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5901310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryuuto/pseuds/Ryuuto
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After helping to save the town of Marlind from a plague, Sorey and his friends decide to stay at the inn for the night. There, they are treated to a story told by Mayvin, a famous storyteller among the humans. To make matters more interesting, it's a story that Sorey has never heard before.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Longer Days and Shorter Nights

**Author's Note:**

> Nothing much to say, other than world-building. There's gonna be some canon parallels, too. Ah, and I'll probably re-arrange these into a more cohesive timeline later. Right now, they're just coming in a random order. Please enjoy!

When Sorey had agreed to go on a journey to help restore order to the Glenwood continent, he expected to hear stories about the gods. He expected to hear about the legends concerning their origins, past deeds, tragedies, and other aspects that the humans believed to be true. The stories were grossly misunderstandings at worst and highly romanticized at best, but they all had a nugget of truth in them. Sorey understood all of that and even enjoyed listening to those embellished stories. However, he didn’t expect that the humans would _also_ talk about him and Mikleo.

It was the first lovely evening in the small town of Marlind since the plague broke out. Now that the epidemic had finally been contained and treated, the townspeople were more than willing to celebrate in the form of sharing stories about the gods. The innkeeper had graciously invited Sorey to attend such a gathering, and he’d accepted the offer gladly. Mikleo, Lailah, and Edna had agreed in joining him, despite the fact that they would be invisible observers.

He couldn’t help feeling a little saddened. There used to be a time when humans could universally see the spirits and gods that inhabited the world alongside them. Now, only a rare few could. His sadness was banished by reminding himself of the hope that his journey could also help restore that awareness. Sorey just needed to wait and see if there would be any chance of that happening.

As the four sat at a table, the storyteller for the night finished his drink. He was a man who was stoutly built and wore what appeared to be an explorer’s outfit, blue and white with a yellow scarf. His hair was completely grey, yet he didn’t look much older than middle-aged. He wore a grin, laugh lines crinkling his face handsomely, and a glint of excitement in his eyes that reminded Sorey of himself and Mikleo when they talked about ruins.

“Oh! Looks like Mayvin’s about to start!” the innkeeper said as she got to Sorey’s table. She smiled kindly at him, much like a mother would. “I’ll just quickly take your order so that you don’t miss anything, Shepherd. You’re in for a real treat!”

“Is he well-known?” Sorey asked out of curiosity.

“Mayvin’s quite famous for the way he spins his yarn, certainly,” she answered cheerfully. “He’s got good timing. We could really need one of his stories tonight.”

After taking his order and walking away, Mikleo commented, “Well, I can’t really disagree with her on that.”

“Indeed,” Lailah said, looking at the gathered humans with some sympathy. “After the plague, they’re in need of something to lift their spirits. A good story might just be the thing.”

“As long as it’s not a story about me,” Edna said, her tone dryer than usual.

Sorey had to fight back a chuckle, as the innkeeper came back to set his food and drink on the table. He grinned and thanked her, which was about all he had time for before Mayvin stood up. A hush fell over the crowd, the excitement almost electrifying the air around them. Sorey had to admit that even _he_ was getting excited to see what made the storyteller so famous among the humans.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s a pleasure!” Mayvin opened up with a flourished bow. “I’ll be here tonight and tomorrow night, and I’d like to have both nights be open to all of you for requesting which stories I’ll share. Now, which one should we start with?”

Instantly, there were shouts for various titles. Sorey stayed quiet while he ate, listening. He heard a couple people call for _the Great Flood_ , one asked for _the Storm’s Medicine_ , and a very loud person asking for _the Mountain’s Tumble._ Edna glared venomously at them and muttered under her breath about earth dwellers noticing the worst things. However, Mayvin pointed to a rather timid-looking girl.

“Excuse me, young lady! Which story did you say?” he asked kindly. As others turned to look at her, she flushed with embarrassment. After a moment to gather her courage, the girl spoke up.

“Um...I don’t remember what it’s called, but...the one about why the days are shorter in the winter and longer in the summer,” she responded shyly. The storyteller grinned at her and others encouraged him to tell that story.

“Well, with a response like that, how can I refuse?”

A cheer went up from the crowd before settling back down into an attentive silence. Mikleo and Sorey watched with curiosity, not sure they’d heard this story before. Neither of them noticed that Edna had a wicked smile on her face or that Lailah was restraining herself from giggling. Mayvin sat back down in his chair, leaning forward with his arms resting against his legs.

“Once, a long, long time ago, the days and nights were equal. The Sun and the Moon kept it balanced, and they worked hard to maintain it along with making the time to see each other. At morning and twilight, they’d meet and talk about what they’d seen, and the places they’d like to adventure to next. For a while, the two of them were content with this. They put their duties over their personal feelings.

“However, unlike the Sun, the Moon would come and go. Some nights, he’d be full and bright as daylight, but on others he wouldn’t be there and let the stars have their fun. When the Moon wasn’t there in the sky, he’d be left alone to his thoughts. That was when he’d really feel the loneliness catch up to him. Everyone’s got their breaking point, and the Moon was no exception. He wanted to see the Sun more often than he did! But he didn’t dare tell the Sun that. They had their duties, and it’d be pretty embarrassing that he’d let a bit of loneliness get to him!”

Sorey glanced over at Mikleo, who had his face buried in his hands. He chuckled nervously, lightly scratching his cheek, knowing that _this_ was embarrassing his friend far more than the ‘loneliness.’ One look at Edna told him that she was busy trying not to cackle at Mikleo’s misfortune, but Lailah looked like she was enjoying it. Frankly, so was Sorey, even if the story wasn’t totally true. The way Mayvin told the story made it sound like he’d actually been there with them.

“Nobody likes to worry their loved ones, and the Moon definitely didn’t want the Sun to worry about him. So, he kept it to himself.

“‘Why worry him needlessly?’ the Moon reasoned. ‘Isn’t keeping balance worth the personal sacrifice? It wouldn’t be fair of me to tell him that.’

“Little did he suspect that the Sun was having similar thoughts himself! While the Moon traveled the sky, the Sun didn’t feel quite so lonely at night knowing that the Moon was there to watch over everyone. When the Moon wasn’t there in the sky, the Sun felt sad that the only time he’d see him would be in the morning.

“‘I should cherish those nights where I do see him more,’ the Sun told himself. ‘It wouldn’t be fair of me to make him worry.’

“Well, it was on an evening when the Moon wasn’t going to be traveling in the sky that the two of them saw how miserable they were. With the wryest of expressions you’ll ever see, he suggested to the Sun that perhaps they can revise how they balance day and night. The Sun laughed and agreed easily.

“It took the two of them a few mornings and evenings to figure out the logistics, but eventually they came to be satisfied with the new arrangement. For half of a year, the Sun would gradually make the days longer and the Moon would travel with him, making the nights shorter. The other half would be the Moon making the nights longer and the Sun would go with him, even on those nights without him in the sky, which made the days shorter.

“And so they’ve remained! Even now, they continue to share their duties rather than have one take it all on their own.”

There was a collective sigh, and a couple of giggling girls, as Mayvin finished his story. They all clapped and cheered, resuming their chatter as the storyteller took a small break to rest his voice. Sorey turned back and saw that Mikleo was glaring at Edna, his arms crossed.

“Wow, Meebo,” Edna said, characteristically monotone and dryer than a desert. “Self-sacrificing, much?”

Mikleo bristled, but Lailah was able to step in before the two of them could really get into their bickering. Her green eyes glinted with amusement as she leaned forward slightly.

“Why don’t you two tell us the real story behind that?” Lailah asked. “It seems like there’s a bit of exaggeration in it, but aren’t all of ours like that?”

Sorey looked sheepish as his friend settled back down, though the Moon still glared daggers at the Mountain.

“Well,” the Sun started, “That whole thing happened when the two of us were physically old enough to start doing our jobs. We had to keep balance, yeah, but...the original plan didn’t even last a month, I don’t think.”

“You were so miserable every time one of us had to leave that it was impossible for that plan to have worked out for very long,” Mikleo interrupted with a sigh. “I just took it upon myself to take a look at our duties more closely. It turned out that we shared more than enough in common that we could both do them together. We’d just have to balance the days and nights differently during the year.”

“It’s not as hugely exaggerating as it could’ve been,” Sorey finished with a grin. “I enjoyed it, though! I can see why people would like him so much.”

The Moon sighed, but didn’t comment. Sorey took that as agreement with his conclusion.

“The earth dweller’s story was better,” Edna commented after a pause. “Poor, lonely Mikleo. Mikleonly.”

While the two of them bickered, the Sun politely paid for his meal and room as the innkeeper came back around to their table. He interrupted them by saying that it was high time he went to sleep before Mayvin got them sucked into another story. Lailah and Edna decided to stick around for a little while longer, though, so Mikleo joined him in going back to the room.

The pair were in amicable silence as Sorey got ready for bed. As he settled himself under the covers, he was slightly surprised when his friend joined him. Not that he was going to complain. After they’d reached the physical age of 13, neither of them had needed sleep. Now that Sorey was human, he _did_ need it, but Mikleo didn’t always join him in the bed. The night energized him too much, especially when it was a full moon. Still, the Sun found that he slept much better when the Moon was with him.

“It hasn’t been a strain on you, has it?” Mikleo abruptly asked in a quiet voice. Sorey blinked and turned over to face his friend, noticing how his lavender eyes watched him carefully.

“Hm?”

“Being human.”

He smiled at Mikleo. Of course the Moon would be worried about that. Even though he was human now, that didn’t take away his powers as the Sun, something that no mortal body could bear all at once without some sort of limitations.

“No,” Sorey said simply. “Not since Lailah put that seal on me. My body’s starting to tolerate more of my power, but it’s still going to take time before it can handle all of it. I’ll be okay.”

It didn’t need to be said, but there was an implied, ‘Especially with you having my back.’ He knew without any doubts that he’d be perfectly fine with the Moon by his side. Mikleo nodded and he seemed to relax, knowing what went unspoken between them.

“Alright.”


End file.
